Keeping our teeth and mouth healthy is vital in maintaining the overall good status of our health. Aside from practicing good oral hygiene, such as brushing and flossing, a dental visit is also an essential part of good oral care.
Dentists advice visiting the dentist at least twice a year for routine dental check-ups.
Why You Should Not Skip Your Dental Visits
Dental check-ups are imperative to keep the teeth, gums, and mouth healthy. Here are three reasons why you should not miss your next dental appointment:
- During a dental appointment, dentists can check and detect signs of tooth decay, gum diseases, oral cancer, and other dental problems. They then can give the appropriate treatment as soon as possible.
- Early detection of dental issues will save you from worsening cases, extreme dental treatments, and costly procedures.
- A dental check-up will also give you opportunity to get to know your dental health stat. It will also serve as an avenue for patient education. Patient education allows people to be more informed and educated on preventive care.
What Comprises a Dental Check-Up
Health History
During a dental check-up, your medical and dental history will be checked, especially for new patients. This step is important because your health records will be used to identify the safest approach to your dental needs.
Examination
The examination will include assessment for dental cavities, conditions of your gums, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and other oral-related problems. Indications of swelling and complications will also be checked through the examination of your neck, head, face, throat, and tongue. An oral evaluation can be comprehensive, periodic, or limited.
X-rays
To diagnose your dental problems, our dentists may conduct an X-ray to view your mouth properly.
Cleaning
Your teeth will undergo thorough cleaning which will include the scrapping of the plaque or tartar that have accumulated on the teeth, above and below the gum line.
Treatment plan
After the examination and getting the findings, your dentist will devise a personalized treatment plan for you according to the results of the dental check-up, your schedule, and finances.
Comprehensive Oral Evaluation
Dentists perform a comprehensive oral evaluation on your initial dental visit. The results of this type of oral evaluation will serve as the baseline of your oral and overall health status for your periodic oral evaluation with us.
During the examination, our dentist will look into your health history, do a thorough visual examination, take digital X-rays, and examine other parts of the oral cavity, such as the head and neck, for lumps or other abnormalities that may be indications of health problems.
Our dentist will check for signs of:
- Presence of cavities especially new ones
- Conditions of crowns, filling, bridges, and other previously installed dental appliances
- Recession of the gums or bones
- Teeth deterioration
- Abnormal bite
- Case of bruxism or temporomandibular joint disorder
Moreover, our dentist will also look for signs or symptoms of serious illnesses that may have been previously undetected. A comprehensive oral evaluation will observe early indications of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, immune problems, sinus issues, cancers, among others.
Through the comprehensive oral evaluation, our dentist can create a personalized preventive and treatment plan to ensure that your oral and overall health status is at its best.
Limited Oral Evaluation
Also known as problem-focused examination, a limited oral evaluation is done to identify and diagnose indications of dental issues including tooth pain, swelling, and bleeding. As its name suggests, this type of oral evaluation addresses a specific oral health issue which may include:
- a toothache
- dental trauma
- infection
- dental emergency
The examination will involve a digital X-ray of the affected area for proper viewing and diagnosis of our dentist, as well as, a visual evaluation. Our dentist will also ask you questions relating to your symptoms for a better understanding and idea of what your dental issue may be.
A treatment plan will be created with a consideration of your overall condition and status. A follow-up evaluation may also be scheduled to complete the necessary oral care.
If you are a regular patient, our dentist will use the results of your comprehensive oral evaluation as benchmark of your oral health status and look for changes that may have transpired since your last visit that may have led to your dental problem.
Periodic Oral Evaluation
Practicing good oral hygiene is necessary to keep our teeth and other parts of our mouth clean and healthy. Still, everyday brushing and flossing may be insufficient to keep plaque and harmful bacteria out of our oral cavity that it has become imperative to tap expert care for optimum oral health.
Following your comprehensive oral evaluation on your first visit, a periodic oral evaluation will be done on your next visits. Dentists perform this type of oral evaluation on patients of record, meaning they have visited the dental office before and have records of their oral health documented.
A periodic examination is done to determine changes or developments on your oral health status since your last visit. It will require a review of your health and medical history, including your dental records. It will also include an oral cancer evaluation and periodontal screening and other diagnostic procedures when necessary.
Similar to a comprehensive oral evaluation, a periodic oral evaluation also checks for new cavities, broken dental appliance or previous dental work, recession of the gums or bone, abnormal bite. Signs of bruxism, or temporomandibular joint disorder. It also observes early signs of illness like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, sinus problems, and cancer.